


Keeping Score

by tookumade



Series: Haikyuu!! Datekou Week - 2015 [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 03:39:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4044454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tookumade/pseuds/tookumade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Defeats and victors, friendships brought into question, screams of despair, flashes of red… </p><p>(written for Haikyuu!! Datekou Week - Day 4 -  wins and losses, colour)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keeping Score

Defeats and victors, friendships brought into question, screams of despair, flashes of red…  
  
Sharp _tinks_ of plastic cut through the air, and breaths were held, and the final yellow disc was dropped, and then–  
  
“CONNECT FOUR!” Futakuchi bellowed, and Onagawa let out a long yell of anguish. Shouts and cheering broke out in the room, and Aone added three lines to Futakuchi’s winning tally; he was now ahead of Nametsu by three points, which would make him the over-all winner assuming she lost or drew her next game. Nametsu didn’t look worried, but then, she always did like a challenge.  
  
As Nametsu sat across from Obara with a confident smirk, and Obara tried not to look intimidated, Aone folded his arms across his chest and smiled slightly as he watched them play.  
  
Coach Oiwake had brought in the Connect Four game to their training camp because his “brother had just come back from Canada and got this as a souvenir for my family so I brought this along because I don’t know what keeps you kids entertained these days”. Apprehensively at first, they prodded at the Connect Four stand before Koganegawa challenged Sakunami to a game, which Koganegawa lost, and suddenly, they all found themselves playing a ferocious round-robin Connect Four tournament, with the winner of each game awarded three points and the loser awarded none, and both players award one point if it were a tie. The over-all winner would be treated to a bowl of ramen with a side of gyoza by the rest of the team.  
  
(“That worked a little too well,” Coach Oiwake had sighed, before moving into the next room to have some coffee with the other members of the coaching staff.)  
  
This wasn’t a bad after-dinner activity, thought Aone as Nametsu and Obara began their game. The volume and yelling was nothing unusual for a team like theirs, and there was something nice about spending time together on a warm summer night like this, after a hard day of volleyball training  
  
“Taking bets now,” Onagawa stage-whispered. “Nametsu to win.”  
  
“Same,” everyone else whispered back, and Obara yelped an indignant “ _Oi!_ ”  
  
They were right, though. Nametsu shouted “Connect Four!” when she beat Obara after a few tense minutes, pumping her fists and grinning victoriously while Obara pretended to sob on Sakunami’s shoulder, and everyone cheered wildly.  
  
“Nametsu and Futakuchi are tied for equal points,” Aone announced, and everyone chorused a long “ _Oooooh_ …”  
  
“It’s the final match, so the winner of this one wins the prize,” Onagawa added. “Even if there’s a tie, you’ll keep playing until there’s a winner.”  
  
“O- _kay_ , step aside Obara, _I’ll_ show you how it’s done,” said Futakuchi with an exaggerated swagger as Nametsu cleared the Connect Four stand. Both were grinning devilishly at each other.  
  
“Are you ready to have your ass kicked, _captain?_ ” Nametsu snickered.  
  
“You talk big now, but that ramen is _mine_ ,” said Futakuchi with a glint in his eye.  
  
“This could go either way,” said Obara thoughtfully. “I think… Nametsu to win.”  
  
“Me too,” said Onagawa and Sakunami.  
  
“Then, I’ll pick Futakuchi-san to win,” said Fukiage.  
  
“Futakuchi-senpai looks super-confident, so I’ll pick him too!” said Koganegawa eagerly. “What about you, Aone-senpai?”  
  
They all turned to stare at Aone, who looked over at Nametsu and Futakuchi.  
  
“I think it will be… a tie,” he said.  
  
“Come on, come on, let’s play!” said Nametsu impatiently. She and Futakuchi threw out a quick rock-scissors-paper match to determine who would start, which was Futakuchi and he picked the red discs, and they jumped right into the game with the resolve of volleyball players going up against a major rival.  
  
“This is so tense, I can’t breathe,” Obara whispered dramatically.  
  
“Senpai, you’re having trouble breathing?!”  
  
“ _No_ , I’m fine, Koganegawa!”  
  
“SHUT UP!” Nametsu and Futakuchi shouted in perfect unison.  
  
They ended in a tie.  
  
“AGAIN!” They restarted the Connect Four stand hastily—Nametsu won the rock-paper-scissors and started with the red discs.  
  
“Futakuchi to win,” said Onagawa, Obara, and Fukiage.  
  
“Nametsu-senpai to win!” said Koganegawa, and Sakunami nodded in agreement.  
  
“Another tie,” said Aone quietly.  
  
“ _Shhh_ , let us focus!” Futakuchi flapped his hand at them urgently, watching the Connect Four stand like he was trying to melt it with his stare.  
  
“You’re not playing chess, Futakuchi–” said Onagawa.  
  
“We might as well be!” said Nametsu.  
  
“Oh, no, we’ve completely lost her too,” Obara stage-whispered.  
  
They finished that match in another tie. Futakuchi and Nametsu gave loud yells of frustration as they quickly restarted the game.  
  
“My bet is on Nametsu-san this time,” said Fukiage.  
  
“Mine too,” said Obara. “Sakunami?”  
  
“Oh… yes!”  
  
“I’ll bet on Futakuchi because I feel sorry for him,” said Onagawa. Koganegawa gave him a look of genuine concern.  
  
“We should be feeling sorry for Futakuchi-senpai? Okay, I’ll vote for him too!”  
  
“Three laps around the training camp for all of you once this is finished!” said Futakuchi, and Onagawa made a face at him.  
  
“I take it back. Hey, how about you, Aone?”  
  
“I think… another tie,” said Aone, and they all stared at him, then back at Nametsu and Futakuchi with a breathless sort of tension.  
  
Aone was right; it was another tie. Nametsu and Futakuchi were now yelling hysterically and incoherently at each other, to the point where Coach Oiwake had to poke his head into the room to tell them all off for the noise volume.  
  
“This is killing me,” Onagawa wheezed as he downed some water. “Can you two just split the ramen prize–”  
  
“ _NO!_ ” They almost broke the Connect Four stand in their rush to restart the game.  
  
“Aone, what do you think? Another tie?” Their heads all swivelled his way; even Futakuchi and Nametsu stopped to watch him, like he were some sort of Connect Four oracle.  
  
Aone tapped his fingers together for a moment, before saying, “I think Nametsu will win.”  
  
Futakuchi’s jaw dropped open and he slapped a hand over his chest dramatically and looked utterly betrayed; Nametsu began giggling madly; everyone else made more “ _OOOOOH_ ” noises.  
  
“Go, go, _go!_ ” said Nametsu. She started again, this time with the yellow discs, dropping them with renewed confidence while Futakuchi tried to keep up with her enthusiasm. But it as clear after a little while, that it was beginning to affect him; he would swear loudly after his every second move, dropping the discs like they were burning objects, and this only seemed to spur Nametsu on, until finally…  
  
“CONNECT FOUR!” Nametsu shouted. Futakuchi let out a howl like that of a wounded animal and face-planted onto the table, and the room erupted into screams and cheering and clapping. Coach Oiwake seemed to have given up on telling them to keep quiet, because he didn’t bother coming into the room to tell them all off again.  
  
“I think I’ve lost a few years of my life,” said Fukiage, as Nametsu raised her hands and slapped high-tens with Sakunami and Koganegawa. “That was so tense. I’m so tired.”  
  
“We should totally do this again!” said Onagawa. “I wonder if you can buy Connect Four in Japan…”  
  
“Oh, god, no,” Futakuchi groaned. “I never want to see another Connect Four board again. I’m going to dream of red and yellow circles all night.”  
  
“That was fun, though!” said Nametsu. She nudged him with a grin. “You can have my gyoza, if you like.” Futakuchi swatted her away lightly.  
  
“No need,” he sighed. “You deserved it.”  
  
“ _Wow_ , I think all that Connect Four broke his brain,” said Onagawa loudly, and Futakuchi flung a yellow disc at him.  
  
“It was a good match, Futakuchi-senpai, Nametsu-senpai!” said Koganegawa, and to their surprise, he began applauding. He was joined by Aone, and then the others, and Futakuchi and Nametsu looked at each other and grinned. Nametsu stuck out her hand, and Futakuchi shook it.  
  
“This is so heart-warming, I’m going to cry,” said Obara. “Why didn’t we take a photo? You two, hold still for a moment–”  
  
“You can cry _after_ your three laps around the training camp,” said Futakuchi briskly. “Don’t think I forgot—go on, all of you! Oh, quit _whining_ , I’m running with you! Aone, coming?” Aone nodded. “Nametsu, can you–”  
  
“I’ll pack up the board,” said Nametsu, still grinning as she began to collect the discs together. “Have fun on your run—but light running only, okay everyone? And then go take a bath afterwards, and then get to sleep. You’ve got another full day tomorrow.”  
  
“Okaaay,” they all chorused, and they filed out of the room and pulled on their shoes to begin their three laps, feeling oddly rejuvenated. Koganegawa and Sakunami rocketed off in a burst of energy, and Futakuchi yelled at them both to slow down. He and Aone eventually fell back and brought up the rear of the group.  
  
“ _Aone_ ,” Futakuchi now whined, digging an elbow into his ribs, “you were supposed to be on _my_ side. I can’t believe you chose Nametsu over me, your bestie!” Aone smiled slightly.  
  
“I just made a guess.”  
  
“I was so _betrayed_.”  
  
“It was good training,” said Aone. “You said you wanted to learn to block out people’s opinions before a match.” Futakuchi’s mouth fell open.  
  
“So you chose Nametsu on _purpose!_ That’s _psychological warfare!_ ”  
  
“Well…” Aone looked at him patiently. “I think she would have won eventually.”  
  
“ _Hey!_ ”  
  
“She handles pressure better.”  
  
“That’s not tr–…” They stared at each other for a moment, before Futakuchi sighed. “Okay, maybe you’re right… I was so surprised that you betted on Nametsu, I guess let it affect me. _Damn_ , you are good! But how about all those draws, then?”  
  
“Coincidence,” said Aone.  
  
“Hmm…”  
  
“And,” Aone added, “it’s good for them to see their captain losing and being a good sport about it.”  
  
Futakuchi raised his eyebrows. “You think I was being a good sport?”  
  
Aone grunted but didn’t say anything. Futakuchi snickered and nudged him again.  
  
“I get it, I get it. This is captain-training, and you’re looking out for me.”  
  
“Of course,” said Aone. Futakuchi grinned widely as they jogged in amicable silence for a little while. Ahead of them, the other second years were bantering with each other and fondly telling off Koganegawa, who kept pulling ahead like an over-excited puppy.  
  
“Thanks,” said Futakuchi at last. Aone nodded, and they picked up a little speed and caught up with the rest of their team.

————


End file.
